Many electrical connectors manufactured and used include terminals which are designed to be terminated to wires through the use of crimping, insulation displacement or other know techniques. These standardized wire termination connectors are widely known and used in many industries. However, in many applications, the wires extending from the connectors can add unwanted weight in an environment in which reduced weight is desirable. In addition, multiple wires may be difficult to bend or conform to small spaces, thereby requiring additional space to be required to allow for proper routing of the wires. However, in many applications, as space is at a premium, it would be beneficial to minimize the space required for routing of the wires.
Flexible circuits use a flexible plastic substrate having printed circuits thereon. The flexible plastic substrate is capable of being routed while being conformed to a desired shape or flexed during use. While the use of flexible circuits would prove beneficial in many applications, the use of flexible circuits is limited as the flexible circuits cannot be terminated to the standardized wire termination connectors.
It would, therefore, be beneficial to provide an apparatus and method which would allow for the use of flexible circuits with standardized wire termination connectors.